You Really Are the WORST Roommate
by Icetor
Summary: Arthur's bad behavior drives Merlin to move out, can Arthur get by without his roommate? Why is he such a big prat?
1. Chapter 1

You Really Are the _Worst _Roommate

Chapter 1

"Arthur please, I'm just really tired… can't we discuss this tomorrow?" Merlin sighed heavily as he got up from the couch and moved toward his room.

"No, I want to finish this now, don't just walk away from me!" The blond man demanded in a childish tone. Merlin was done.

"I'm not having this discussion now, you utter… prat! If you want to talk about this, it's going to be tomorrow." He slammed the door of his room shut and locked it, flopping down on his bed and waiting for the inevitable knock.

"_Mer_lin," Arthur called through the door, "Merlin, open this door." The slim, dark-haired man ignored Arthur, feeling his throat close in as he made his decision. The blond finally got fed up and stomped away to his own room, slamming the door closed and locking it out of spite. Neither man went to sleep for hours, each lost in their own thoughts.

* * *

><p>When Arthur awoke, it was late afternoon the next day, a Saturday. He stretched and wandered out of his room to find Merlin. The common area was still a cluttered jumble of Arthur's possessions, which made him frown. There was no food to be found in the kitchen, and Arthur's towel from the day before was still in a moist heap on the floor. He looked around in confusion for a moment, "Merlin?" There was no response from his roommate, who was normally up hours before Arthur. The blond stumbled across the apartment to Merlin's room and knocked on the door, pushing it slightly ajar. The entire space was immaculate, and there was no sign of Merlin.<p>

Arthur frowned and returned to his room to hunt for his phone. He found the desired item in his jeans pocket and called Merlin. The call went to voicemail, "_Mer_lin, you idiot. You've left the flat a mess, and there isn't any food. Where are you? You really are the _worst _roommate ever." Satisfied with his message, Arthur wandered back into the kitchen and looked for something to eat that didn't require culinary skill to prepare. He settled on beer and pretzels. Arthur sat on the couch and flipped on the television, finding a channel he liked and lying back to wait for Merlin to return.

Arthur tried to call Merlin three more times, and each time his messages got less and less jovial as he grew genuinely concerned for the smaller man. Arthur had a massive secret crush on the brunet, and by the time midnight came around, Arthur had called all of their mutual friends to track down his wayward cohabitant. They all claimed not to have seen Merlin, so Arthur camped out in front of the door to the flat and waited. If Merlin hadn't returned by the next morning, Arthur decided, he was going to call the police and hospital.

* * *

><p>On Sunday morning, Arthur came to, only to see the door of the apartment in front of him. It was still morning, 10 AM precisely. He did a quick circuit of the flat to find that Merlin had not returned. Arthur tried calling the brunet and left a frantic message on his phone. He called all the hospitals within a ten mile radius with no success. Arthur finally called the police, who politely informed him that missing persons had to be out of contact for 48 hours before a case could be opened.<p>

Arthur paced through the apartment restlessly, his leonine hair whipping around at the slightest sound that might be Merlin returning. He ignored the fact that he had work in the morning and hadn't finished the report his boss had requested. He ignored the fact that he hadn't eaten a proper meal in almost two days. He stayed in the apartment and fretted until late at night, when he once again fell asleep in front of the door.

* * *

><p>On Monday, Arthur woke to the dual sounds of his and Merlin's alarm clocks going off, informing him that he needed to get to work if he wanted to keep his job. As he was dialing Merlin's cell phone number one more time before he had the police open a file, the blessed sound of keys in the door caused him to cut off the voicemail message. He wrenched the door open.<p>

"Hello Arthur," Morgana said acidly, "Merlin asked me to drop by for some of his things. He wants you to 'stop calling him and go fuck yourself, you insensitive, childish prat.' His words, not mine," Arthur followed her to Merlin's bedroom, closing the door behind him as she started to retrieve some of Merlin's personal items and toss them into a bag.

"Where is he, Morgana?" Arthur demanded, "Why hasn't he been answering his phone?"

Morgana threw an icy glare in Arthur's direction before dramatically pulling her phone out and dialing, "Hey Merlin, where did you say your extra laptop battery was?... ok thanks, I've got it… you too, bye." She snapped the phone shut, "He answers his phone, just not when you call."

Arthur growled and clenched his fists, "What _is _his problem? Why hasn't he been back to the flat in two days? Why are you collecting things for him?" Morgana paused and rounded on Arthur.

"Listen, _brother dear,_ the fact that you have to ask, clearly indicates that nothing has or will change. Merlin is sick of being treated like your personal servant, so he's moving out. Don't try to contact him if he doesn't try to talk to you. Frankly, we all feel that this has been too long in coming. You are an insufferable, stuck up, lazy, entitled arse. You're clearly in love with Merlin, but you act as if you're six and shoving him on the playground. Maybe if you ever show signs of getting your act together, Merlin will deign to speak to you again, but I wouldn't hold your breath."

She shoved him aside and stalked to the bathroom, loading all of Merlin's items into her bag. Arthur was speechless. He _was _in love with Merlin, but had never confided in anyone, how did they know?

"I'm not in love with Merlin." He said defensively.

"Whatever, I don't care." Morgana pulled Merlin's class schedule from the fridge and crumpled it up into the bag, she then turned and stalked to the door.

Arthur blocked her getaway, "I want to speak to him, he's just angry. He'll come around and change his mind about moving out, just tell me where he's staying." Morgana laughed bitterly.

"What you don't realize, Arthur, is that nobody is encouraging Merlin to talk to you, we all think he's too good for you. You can't even man up and tell him you love him, you can't even tell yourself. Nobody is going to help you find Merlin, because we all think he's made the right choice." She crossed her arms and glared, "Are you going to let me leave? Or do I have to call Gwen's boyfriend to remove you?" Arthur stood petulantly in Morgana's way.

"I'm not letting you leave until you tell me why. This seems like a huge overreaction to me, you aren't telling me everything."

Morgana sighed, "You just aren't listening. He's sick of being at your beck and call, picking up after you, cooking for you, helping you with work. He just wants more… he wants someone better than you, and we're going to make sure he gets it." She shoved the tall blond aside and yanked on the door, purposely bashing it into Arthur as she slipped through the narrow crack and let the door swing closed.

Arthur stood forlornly in the hall in front of the door. He wasn't sure what he should do without Merlin around. They had been roommates for almost four years. Arthur was completely dependent on the other man to remind him of appointments, do the housework, and cheer him up when he was down. Arthur leaned heavily against the wall, letting his head fall back to hit the plaster. He slid down, trying to comprehend life without Merlin. He curled into the fetal position and shuddered as he lost consciousness from the stress.

* * *

><p>Tuesday, Arthur didn't go into work once again. His phone died as he was trying to leave yet another pleading message for Merlin. He ate saltines with ketchup and sat on the couch staring at a painting of Merlin's until he fell asleep, thinking about the younger man.<p>

* * *

><p>Wednesday, Arthur recharged his phone and found that he had one voicemail. Arthur's boss threatened to fire him, so Arthur quit. He paced around the apartment all day hoping that Merlin would come back or call. He did neither.<p>

* * *

><p>Thursday, Arthur stayed in bed and tried not to think about Merlin coming home, remembering idioms about watched pots.<p>

* * *

><p>Friday, after one week without seeing Merlin, Arthur had almost given up on ever hearing from the younger man. He heard the key in the lock once more and vaulted out of his bed. He threw the door of his bedroom open and interrupted Will and Mordred as they brought in boxes to pack up the rest of Merlin's belongings. Neither man would speak to Arthur about Merlin, Will told Arthur he smelled bad, which was the product of a week of not showering. By the time Arthur came out of his extremely quick shower, there was no sign of Merlin in the living room or the kitchen. The boys were in Merlin's bedroom packing up the last of the clothes. Arthur begged them to tell him where Merlin was, but they stanchly refused and merely finished stripping the bedroom of anything Merlin owned. It took an hour all-told for the two men to take everything of Merlin's from the apartment, leaving behind an empty bedroom, and various gaps in shelves and cupboards that indicated items that no longer lived in the apartment. Arthur felt sick. The key lying on the kitchen counter taunted him with Merlin's acute absence.<p>

On Friday night, Arthur called Merlin one last time, hoping against hope that the younger man would pick up the phone, "The number you have dialed is not in service. Please check the number and dial again." Arthur sobbed in the frustration and agony of heartbreak as the last tangible line of communication was finally cut off. Merlin was gone and he wasn't coming back.

**A/N What do you think? I've always felt that Merthur fics rely too much on destiny and gloss over the fact that Arthur is kind of a horrible person. He treats Merlin like dirt most of the time. This fic might end up being a redemption fic, or it might be a "Merlin dumps Arthur's hunky ass for being a terrible person and finds love elsewhere", it depends on what you all want :D R&R**

**(Possible pairings, Merlin/Gwaine, Merlin/Mordred, Merlin/Lance… all three? Yum… Not really a fan of Merlin/Will, so I won't go the direction)**


	2. Chapter 2

You Really Are the _Worst _Roommate

Chapter 2

_One week before Merlin moved out_

Merlin gritted his teeth and played with his curry sullenly, aware of the two sets of concerned eyes resting on him. He reasoned with himself. They didn't know Arthur like he did, there was a side of the blond that was…

Merlin was a hopeless case. Four years before, when he'd moved to the city for school, he'd found an advert for a flatmate that was just barely within his price range. He'd been to about seventeen other apartments and was almost resigned to living in the dorms. All the other candidates had ranged from genuinely frightening to utterly disgusting to creepy in an 'I'm-going-to-steal-your-underpants-while-you-sleep-and-build-a-shrine-in-my-room' kind of way. Who knew that low-rent housing attracted these kinds of freaks (though in fairness there were a couple flats that were definitely more expensive, but they belonged to old dudes who had leered inappropriately upon seeing Merlin).

In retrospect, he should have known that there was something wrong with Arthur from the first minute, Merlin's problem four years before had been his brain. When the door had swung open to reveal a muscular blond wearing nothing but sleep pants, Merlin's brain had short-circuited. The only thing he could think was _beautiful._

Unfortunately, this malady of the mind had persisted long enough for Merlin to sign the lease, move in, and live in the flat for approximately two weeks. He was half in love with Arthur by the time he realized what a jerk the blond was.

It had started with small things: Arthur forgetting to make a meal when it was his turn, Arthur leaving his shoes lying in the middle of the living area, Arthur asking Merlin to grab him a drink because he was a goddamn lazy freak who wanted to sit on the couch. (Honestly the drink thing wouldn't have been any trouble except that Merlin had been in his room when Arthur had called him. The blond was sitting in the kitchen and literally refused to move two paces to the fridge to retrieve a bottle. ) Over the months and years that intervened, Merlin had taken over all the food making responsibilities, he picked up everything out of place, he catered to virtually every whim the blond had, and he never reflected on how utterly pathetic his life had become.

The other side of this delightfully crappy coin was that Merlin was gay and Arthur didn't know. He was literally the _only _person with whom Merlin associated that didn't know, but somehow it just never came up when Arthur was around. Merlin had one-offs, of course, but he always went to theirs, rather than bring them back to face whatever horror waited when he returned after leaving Arthur alone for more than an hour. So Merlin continued to pine and pick up after Arthur for four full years, ignoring all his friends' attempts to open his eyes to how dire his situation was. Gwen and Morgana had now ambushed him under the pretense of a 'bite to eat at that new Thai place'. It was the Parcheesi match all over again.

"I challenge you, Merlin Emrys, to ask Arthur to pick up after himself before next Saturday. If he refuses, then you have to seriously consider moving out." Morgana eyed the brunet, causing him to shift uncomfortably.

"It's not like that, Gana, Arthur isn't a bad guy," Merlin was always quick to defend the blond.

"Morgana is right, Merlin. It's down to this, and if you don't at least attempt to open your own eyes, then you obviously don't trust your friends very much." It was a low blow, and all three knew it. Merlin glared at Gwen. Fine, if that was what it took, he would ask Arthur to clean up. The blond would do it, especially if Merlin asked. Merlin never asked for _anything. _

* * *

><p>All week Merlin tried to psyche himself up to ask Arthur to clean. He had started the question fifty different times, "Arthur, can you—believe that jerk Valiant didn't get kicked out of school after he got arrested?" <em>fail<em>…

"Arthur? I was wondering—What you wanted me to make for dinner," _way to offer yourself up, Merlin… _

"Arthur, would you mind—telling Gwen I've gone out if she drops by?" _seriously? Who doesn't have a cell phone… for that matter, what else is he going to say? 'oh yeah, Merlin, er… he's hiding in his room and won't come out… he's also gone mute and invisible, so you won't be able to find him if you look…'_

_Merlin Emrys everyone, complete and utter pushover._

So there he sat on Friday evening, aware that there was no more time to complete his deal with Morgana and Gwen. Arthur was a good guy; he'd have no problem cleaning up after himself.

"Er… Arthur, could you… that is…" The blond looked up from the book he was reading, Merlin gulped, "I mean to say, would you mind terribly… erm… picking up some of your clutter?"

"Huh?"

"The stuff you've left lying around everywhere, could you maybe… uh, straighten up a bit before you go to bed tonight?"

"If it bothers you so much, _Mer_lin, why don't you pick it up?"

The words froze Merlin's blood. Four years worth of Arthur's clutter burst out of the door Merlin had locked it behind and presented itself for inspection. If Merlin hadn't been so blind, he would have moved out within a month.

"Why is it so important for me to clean up, anyway? You've never complained before?" Arthur's voice, which Merlin would once have called teasing, now seemed to be mocking him. Merlin felt rage boil up inside him, a searing hurt that caused him to lash out at the blond. He felt so foolish, so used.

"You know what, Arthur? I'm fucking done."

"What?" Arthur was genuinely bewildered, as Merlin would later come to realize, but in the moment, his ignorance vocalized was the most hurtful thing he could have said.

"Just forget it, Arthur, I should have fucking known. I've defended your shit for years, and now… Fuck…" Merlin's head was pounding from the sudden stress of his life crumbling, "I can't do this now."

He moved to get up from the sofa, but the blond wouldn't permit him to leave, "What are you on about, Merlin? What the hell has gotten into you?"

Merlin wanted to snap, but the confusion in Arthur's voice struck his heart. There was nothing more to say. He had ripped off the rose colored glasses and found his relationship with Arthur to be parasitic, where he had once considered it symbiotic. All the fight went out of Merlin as Arthur's hand closed around his bicep. He felt suddenly exhausted.

"Never mind, I'm going to bed."

Arthur's grip tightened, "No, _Mer_lin, you aren't. We need to suss this out. You can't fucking shout at me and expect me to just let it go."

Merlin tried to pull his arm free, and Arthur realized how tightly he was holding the slight brunet, "Fuck you, Arthur, let me go. We'll talk about this in the morning."

Arthur released Merlin, "You aren't leaving until you tell me what the hell is going on. What the fuck do you mean 'defended me'? I've never fucking needed to be defended."

"Arthur please, I'm just really tired… can't we deal with this tomorrow?" Merlin sighed heavily as he got up from the couch and moved toward his room.

"No, I want to finish this now, don't just walk away from me!" The blond man demanded in a childish tone. Merlin was done.

"I'm not having this discussion now, you utter… prat! If you want to talk about this, it's going to be tomorrow." He slammed the door of his room shut and locked it, flopping down on his bed and waiting for the inevitable knock.

"_Mer_lin," Arthur called through the door, "Merlin, open this door."

* * *

><p>Hours later, Merlin lay awake. With the self-imposed veil over Arthur's behavior ripped away, there was no way he could live with the other man. He cringed when he considered telling the blond that he would be moving out. Merlin couldn't possibly do it in person, Arthur would never let him leave without an explanation, and in Merlin's present state, he wasn't entirely sure he wouldn't accidentally confess his feelings or some other shit.<p>

He couldn't face the blond in the light of day. Arthur had a way of getting to Merlin, convincing him to do the most outrageous things. Merlin wouldn't be taken in. He was leaving.

"Gwen, can I stay with you and Myror for a few days? I just need to…" Merlin choked as he acknowledged that his friends had seen the real Arthur. Gwen shushed him over the phone.

"Merlin, you never have to ask, of course you can stay with me. We'll talk more about the why when you're ready. Are you coming over now?"

"Yeah, I just need to… I'll be over in ten minutes." Merlin hung up the phone and walked resolutely to his closet, procuring a small suitcase. He tossed as many clothes in as would fit, then filled his backpack with his essential textbooks and his laptop. Merlin left his room and pulled the door shut with a muffled thump. The sound was magnified in the grey light of pre-dawn. He walked carefully out into the living area, awash with neutral light. The room took on a surreal quality and Merlin felt tears sting his eyes as he glanced around the room one last time before leaving this life behind. He sucked in a shaky breath and turned around, striding quickly to the door before the halcyon memories of Arthur could seduce him away from common sense.

Gwen and Myror lived only a few blocks away. If Arthur came looking for Merlin, Gwen would undoubtedly be the first stop. Gwen had been Merlin's friend long before she'd met Arthur, however, and Merlin knew that she would never let Arthur barge in unless Merlin specifically asked her to. As he stood in front of her door, he tried to blot out the whirling memories, the montage of small, sweet things that Arthur had done for him over the years. In the grand scheme, it was much too little, and years too late.

Merlin stood on the cheery welcome mat for long enough that Gwen opened the door to him without him raising his hand to knock, "Oh, Merlin," Gwen gathered him in a sympathetic hug. While she felt that the move was necessary, and wanted to rejoice that Merlin had found the strength to rid himself of Arthur on his own, she hated that the separation caused him pain, and her nature drove her to nurture her dear friend. Myror laid a reassuring hand on Gwen's back.

"Let's get him inside, babe, it's still early to be mucking about on the landing." He stepped aside as Gwen released Merlin and pulled him into the flat. Myror gathered the bag that Merlin had dropped and then relieved the younger man of his burdensome backpack. These he took to the spare room, depositing one on the desk, and the other at the foot of the bed. Merlin stood awkwardly in Gwen's apartment, the silence of a thousand unasked questions causing him to itch. He refused to meet Gwen's eyes. It was too painful by half, "It's alright, Merlin," Gwen reassured him, "Just settle in. If you feel like talking I'll be right here." Merlin nodded gratefully. He hugged Gwen as some of the tension seeped out of him.

"I'll just…" Merlin cast about, and Gwen nodded.

"Myror took your bags to the guest room, it's down the hall to the left." Merlin nodded and Gwen let him leave with no more comment.

Myror passed Merlin in the hall and clapped him on the shoulder reassuringly, "Things will work out, Merlin, Gwen's sure of it, and we're all backing you." Merlin was startled by Myror's declaration. He'd never spent much time with the other man, since Myror was a corporate headhunter and Merlin was a lowly student.

"Th-thanks." He stammered, and Myror nodded before passing through to the kitchen to talk with Gwen quietly. Merlin entered the room and as soon as he saw the unfamiliar bed, his thoughts of Arthur abandoned him, giving way to raw exhaustion. He barely managed to stumble to the bed and lay down before his eyes closed and he was lost to the world.

* * *

><p>On Sunday, Merlin moped about for a bit, listening to the flippant messages from Arthur that merely drove home his choice. The blond would never change. Morgana dropped by, as did Will. Both comforted Merlin, the former with words of encouragement and assurances that she would help him land on his feet, the latter with an awkward hug and the declaration that Arthur was a big jerk and deserved to lose Merlin. It helped… a little.<p>

Merlin left the apartment to pick up some essential toiletries and items he had forgotten to pack (like pens and notepads for his homework). While he was out, he picked up a paper, but could not bring himself to read the apartment listings. He remembered the issue four years prior that had led him to live with Arthur. He couldn't subject himself to the same random chance that had shoved him into Arthur's orbit. He viciously shredded the publication and watched with a certain grim satisfaction as the grey ribbons fluttered quietly into the waste bin. When he returned to Gwen's apartment, he announced that he was going to find an empty flat and interview roommates. Gwen protested that Merlin could stay with them for as long as he wanted, but Merlin refused.

"It's not that I don't want to spend time with you or that I'm ungrateful, Gwen, but Arthur knows where you live, and as long as he thinks he can track me down, I'll never be able to move on." He cut himself off before he admitted that his feelings for Arthur had grown embarrassingly strong. Gwen sighed in resignation, and then agreed to help Merlin find a flat.

Merlin had a small inheritance from his father that would turn into a large inheritance when he hit 25, it meant that he could cover a few months rent of a nice apartment, but that he couldn't afford a one room in the city for long enough to finish school and get a job. Hunith helped all she could, but Merlin was proud and didn't like to accept charity, even from his own mother.

Gwen and Merlin spent the day looking up listings for vacant apartments. They made a list of places they could visit over the next few days, and then Merlin retired to the guest room to finish his homework assignments and get ready for class.

Before Merlin went to bed, he called Morgana. She answered with a cheery hullo and Merlin launched into his request, "Gana, would you mind stopping by Arthur's apartment tomorrow and picking up a few things? I'd ask Gwen to do it, but she's already gone so far above and beyond, and I don't want to cause problems for her if Arthur figures out I'm staying here."

"Of course, Merlin. I'd be happy to, just give me a list and a key and I'll go first thing in the morning."

"Thanks, Gana… you probably won't have to deal with Arthur if you go after eight, but if you see him… tell him I'm sorry, but I don't think I can talk to him or hang out with him until I get my life sorted out."

"You sure you don't want me to tell him to go fuck himself?"

"What? No! I don't want to hurt him, Gana, I just can't be around him anymore."

Morgana sighed, "Fine, I'll do it your way, just let me know when I can pick up the key."

"I have class at eight that ends at half nine, could I meet you on campus? You don't have classes until the afternoon, right?"

"Sounds like a plan, outside the science complex at half nine?"

"Thanks again, Gana."

* * *

><p>For the next two days, Merlin and Gwen spent hours after school and work traveling around looking for a suitable apartment. On Wednesday, they found the perfect flat, and Merlin signed a one year lease, optimistic that he would find a roommate soon.<p>

* * *

><p>On Thursday, all Merlin's friends, including Mordred – who had been absent since the falling out with Arthur – gathered at Gwen's to celebrate the new apartment and talk about Merlin behind his back. Mordred watched Merlin intensely throughout the evening, but Merlin was too busy getting sloshed to notice. Morgana was not drunk, and grinned as she saw how Mordred watched the slender brunet. The wheels in her head started turning as she plotted.<p>

At the end of the evening, Merlin asked Will and Mordred if they would mind terribly picking up the rest of his belongings from Arthur's flat. They agreed eagerly, neither having any love for the blond at all. Merlin gave them the key and stumbled off in the direction of Myror and Gwen's room. Once he had been turned around and directed to the guest room, the others had a brief conversation about Merlin and then dispersed for the night.

* * *

><p>On Friday, Merlin moved into his new flat with the help of Will and Mordred. Merlin checked his phone messages for the first time since Saturday, and the tone of Arthur's increasingly desperate pleas almost convinced him to return to his old flat and have it out with Arthur. Merlin growled at his own weakness and called his phone company. Ten minutes later, his phone number had been reprogrammed, and he shared his new number with his remaining friends.<p>

He was well and truly done with Arthur. It was time to move on.

Merlin placed an ad in the paper, and posted up a listing on campus looking for a single male roommate to share rent with. He returned home in the early evening and finished up the modicum of homework he had to do for the weekend. It was time for a fresh start.

**A/N what do you think? I'll probably update about once a week, and I won't generally show both viewpoints of the same event, though the timelines will overlap as they have separate lives that intersect with their friends. **


	3. Chapter 3

You Really are the _Worst _Roommate

Chapter 3

The prospects for roommates were grim. Initially, Mordred had offered to room with Merlin, but the boy was only 17 to Merlin's 23, and frankly, Merlin was not at all sure of the boy's intentions. Mordred was sweet in a 'I'm-going-to-grow-up-to-be-a-serial-killer' sort of way, but his intensity was a little hard to bear for an hour in a bar, living with him Merlin could easily imagine waking up to find Mordred at the foot of the bed, fondling his underwear.

Will also volunteered to room with Merlin, but he was always critical of any man Merlin dated, and so Merlin suspected he would scare off any potential suitors if and when he started dating. Merlin smiled inwardly at the thought of actually dating and actually bringing a man back to his flat. He'd never done that with Arthur, not wanting to advertise his sexuality in case Arthur turned out to be a homophobe.

Morgana also submitted herself as flatmate material, but then she met Alvarr and a week later she removed herself from consideration since she didn't want to uproot only to find that she wanted to move in with her increasingly serious boyfriend. So the hunt began.

There were several odd applicants after that. Merlin spent weeks having one or two people over to look at the flat after classes. The rest of his free time he spent with his friends, making sure that Arthur wouldn't be along whenever there was a group thing he wanted to go to. If it turned out that Morgana or Gwen had invited Arthur, Merlin didn't go. In the realm of applicants, there were nothing but disappointments. Most were relatively normal chaps who were either too young (he didn't want to have his roommate rocking out at three in the morning while he was trying to sleep) too old (anything older than thirty five and he started to feel like he was living with his father) or just plain bizarre.

Among the more memorable there was Geoffrey, who was so old that it took him nearly five minutes to get from his bedroom to the bathroom. He'd said he was middle aged when he answered the ad, and Merlin absently wondered if people lived to be a thousand in his country. The whole bathroom travel dilemma brought an additional set of worries. Imagining the old codger in a towel was traumatizing enough, Merlin didn't think he'd survive the actual sight. Geoffrey left after an hour of declaiming on the 'rad' apartment and how 'groovy' everything looked. Merlin didn't bother to tell him he was using anachronistic slang, Geoffrey probably wouldn't have heard anyway. The whine of his hearing aid rang in Merlin's ears long after the smell of antiseptic and squeak of therapeutic shoe inserts were a distant memory.

There was Edwin who wanted to know what the policy on pets was. He had a 'sort of ant farm' as he phrased it. Merlin wasn't sure what that meant, but evidently it wasn't _actually _an ant farm. Merlin tried to get him to clarify what his pets actually were, and his evasion of the subject made Merlin nervous. Then Merlin asked why Edwin was trying to find a new place to live when he already had an apartment in the city. Edwin claimed that his roommate had gone insane, but then he twitched. Merlin asked if it had anything to do with the 'sort of ant farm' and Edwin left. Merlin stocked up on 'ant' traps. He also took to lining the bottom and sides of the door with duct tape… just in case.

There was Joseph. He was the weird hunched guy who smelled like a compost heap and had a girlfriend that was even worse. For some reason she tagged along when Joseph came to see the apartment, and she spent the entire time wandering around in corners muttering that it was too clean. Joseph kept petting her. Merlin bought an air freshener and 21 scented candles to try and get rid of the smell.

Then there was Valiant. He was blond and blue eyed with a disgustingly well-maintained physique. He also acted as if Merlin had just insulted (or indeed was about to insult) his family honor. Merlin kept visualizing the obnoxious man in a suit of armor, challenging him to a duel. It might have been something he could have gotten around, had he not reminded him of someone else. In the end, though Valiant was so much like Arthur that Merlin cut the interview short, saying it just wouldn't be a good fit. After that interview Merlin called the next man on the list and canceled the meeting. He sank to the floor opposite his door and just sat there for the longest time, wondering how he'd gotten so attached, what he could do to fix the rut he'd inadvertently found himself in.

About three weeks after he'd put the ad out, Merlin opened the door to Gwaine. Ironically, if he'd pulled himself together after Valiant, he could have avoided all the intervening creepy candidates, as Gwaine was the man he'd cancelled on. Five minutes into the encounter, Merlin was convinced. The man was literally the perfect flatmate. He was a few years older than Merlin, 26, and had a steady job. He was tall dark and incredibly sensual, joking softly within minutes of being introduced. He smelled incredible, didn't have pets, and looked incredibly sweet and awkward when he asked if it was a problem that he was gay. If he hadn't been the only suitable applicant for flatmate that Merlin had seen, the younger man probably would have jumped him on the spot and had a one off. As it was, the ink wasn't even dry when Merlin yanked the advert and helped Gwaine to move his possessions into _their _apartment.

Things fell into an easy routine after Gwaine arrived. He was laid back and friendly with all of Merlin's friends. He was relatively normal and not jailbait, so he could and did go out to gay bars and clubs with Merlin without being awkward or female. They worked together to find decent one offs, and if anyone questionable started hitting on either one of them, they developed a system to warn each other and pretended to be boyfriends to ward off the unwanted attention.

The first time Merlin introduced Gwaine to his friends they'd all had the reactions he'd anticipated, behaving remarkably badly and making him embarrassed to admit association with them.

Mordred: "Did they give you a name to go along with all those rippling pectorals?"

Will: "So you're a poofter? I still say he could do better."

Gwen: "Squee"

Morgana: "You're not an asshole, are you? Is he Merlin? You'd better be staying away from assholes, I'll kick your ass if he turns out to be one."

Merlin apologized profusely and told Gwaine that he should feel free to punch the men and throw drinks in the women's faces should he so desire. Gwaine laughed and told Morgana that he wasn't an asshole, he just liked to pound them. She took it both intended ways. After the initial shock, Mordred was still insufferably petty; Will was still snarky and disapproved mightily, almost to the point where Merlin considered asking him if he was jealous. Once Morgana got over the initial suspicion and decided Gwaine wasn't, in fact, an asshole, she and Gwen started planning the wedding.

During the first month after walking out on Arthur, Merlin went to classes every day, studied hard, and then spent most evenings with his friends. Though he knew Morgana was in touch with Arthur nearly every day, neither she nor anyone else ever brought up the blond when they were around Merlin. About a month after moving in, Gwaine was kicking about with Merlin and his friends and asked casually why Merlin had needed a roommate. The silence he met was deafening, and he immediately backed off, but Merlin dwelt on the subject of Arthur for the rest of the night.

Everything wasn't perfect. Merlin was still in love with his former roommate. He derived gratification from his frequent sexual encounters, but he always picked men who couldn't remind him of Arthur, they were either bigger or smaller than Arthur, never blond, never blue-eyed, and if they smiled and he thought of Arthur, he would go elsewhere. Once in awhile, he would catch a glimpse of blond hair across campus that reminded him of Arthur. He wasn't ever sure who it was, or even if he had not imagined the sight, but it felt like a spike to his chest whenever it happened. He would excuse himself if he was with friends and run as fast as he could in the opposite direction.

He walked three blocks out of his way as he went to class, just so he could enter campus on the opposite side from his old flat. He never visited Gwen at home because she and Myror lived too close to Arthur. He hadn't visited any of his favorite restaurants, choosing instead to eat places he had never been. He asked his mother not to tell Arthur where he was, a request that concerned her greatly. Even with all these changes, Merlin thought of the man he had fallen in love with every single day.

When he was alone, in his room or on campus, when he caught a whiff of the cologne Arthur used to wear, or saw the name Uther Pendragon in a news article he would involuntarily think of Arthur. He would remember only the good things; the things that made him love the other man. He thought of how generous Arthur was, how noble. He thought of how Arthur fumed at injustice and brought home Chinese takeout when he had to work late. Invariably, though, Merlin would come down to the last night, to Arthur's unconscious refusal to do his part, his lack of understanding, of listening. He thought of the look of utter confusion when he didn't know why Merlin was mad, or why it was so important that he take responsibility for his own messes. Merlin remembered the exact placement of every item of Arthur's when he slipped out the door, and he invariably cried when he remembered the final, frantic messages on his cell phone.

* * *

><p>The day after Gwaine inadvertently brought up Arthur, Merlin called Morgana.<p>

"Merlin, to what do I owe the pleasure?" she greeted warmly as she answered.

"How is he?" Merlin asked without preamble.

"Merlin… are you sure… do you really want to know?"

Merlin's heart beat solidly against his chest, as if trying to break free, to climb out. He faltered. He remembered the years he lived with Arthur, "No. I'm sorry I called." He hung up and sank to his bed. Morgana's ringtone sounded, piercing in the utter stillness of the apartment. He ignored the call and lay down, forcing his mind to channels of thought that carried him far from the blond man. He couldn't face it. He wasn't ready.

* * *

><p>Three months later<p>

Merlin whistled as he walked across campus, plotting out his history paper and paying little attention to the frosty glaze that brightened the world, catching sun and beaming it out from every branch and twig. He vaguely noticed the dark haired girl he passed as she ducked to the side and knelt on the sidewalk.

"Watch—" a voice called, causing Merlin to look up suddenly, mere fractions of a second later he staggered back as a snowball smacked him square in the face, "—OUT!" He felt the initial sting and buzz of the jarring impact, then the inevitable slither of freezing water down his reddening skin. He blinked, trying to formulate a proper response. He felt something cool press against his glove.

"Lancelot, you ass. How dare you strike an innocent bystander! You owe him a free shot." The girl behind him shouted, then she lowered her voice, "aim for his neck, it'll soak him." Merlin looked at the snowball she'd passed him, dripping slowly in his hand. Then he looked up at his would-be attacker. It was a beautiful man with a beaming smile. The smile was tentative, though, and somewhat rueful. He shrugged and showed his hands to be empty.

"Get on with it, then. Freya is right, I deserve it. I'll give you one free shot. After that, it's war." The man's voice was warm and gentle. Merlin felt a sharp tug of attraction almost as strong as what he'd initially felt for Arthur. Lancelot's face was flushed from the cold, and his smile remained as he waited patiently for Merlin to hit him with the snowball. Merlin grinned.

"I dunno, it seems like your friend, Freya was it? Was using me for a shield, it's hardly your fault, is it?"

With that, Merlin swung around and used the half-melted snowball on the girl standing a foot behind him. She shrieked and jumped away too late, hearing his words moments too late. She turned red and looked like she might start screaming, but instead she doubled over laughing. Merlin felt a warm arm wrap around his shoulder companionably and he swallowed the sudden lump in his throat.

"Well, I have to say, nobody has ever dissected Freya's tactics quite as succinctly before, friend. Most would have just taken the free shot without wondering how they came into the line of fire. Why didn't you? I didn't want to get you in trouble by claiming innocence, and I would have let you do it. You're certainly a more appealing aggressor."

Merlin heard two meanings in the last sentence and the warm breath on his neck was suddenly more intimate. Freya was still laughing and Lancelot let out a warm rich peal of mirth. Merlin's face grew hot as he fought the urge to turn his head toward Lancelot. He knew it would be a simple matter to kiss the other man, but he didn't want to make everything awkward. He stepped away shyly.

"Lance, you're scaring him. He'll think we set it up so you could get in his pants." Freya said with a smile. Merlin gaped at Lancelot, the other man winked.

"What makes you think I didn't?" Lancelot challenged. Merlin's face was already pink from the cold, a fact that he appreciated more with every passing second. He looked from Lancelot to Freya, trying to decide if they were sincere or messing with him. He knew many people on campus were aware of his sexuality, but given the openness of Lancelot's face, he decided he, Merlin Emrys, was simply the most fortunate man on the planet. He was bold once he'd settled on the belief that Lancelot was actually gay.

"If you wanted to get into my pants, you didn't need a snowball." Merlin said slyly, and then clapped a hand over his mouth. Lancelot trailed off laughing, eyes wide. Freya's laugh turned into a choking sound and proceeded to morph into hiccups. Lancelot's expression shifted from surprise to acute interest and he took a step toward Merlin.

"My name is Lancelot, by the way." He peeled off a glove and held out a hand. Merlin pulled off his own glove, clasping the warm strong hand in his own.

"Merlin." He managed in a squeak. Lancelot kept holding the smaller man's hand for a beat longer than was proper, and then released it with a tiny sigh of regret.

"I'm going to go out on a limb and hope you were serious, Merlin. Would you have dinner with me tomorrow?" Lancelot looked nervous and shifted from foot to foot, trying desperately not to look away from Merlin.

"Yes?" Merlin answered.

**A/N This story will soon earn its M rating, fear not. I'm pretty sure at this point, Arthur will end up redeeming himself, but in the interim, Merlin will date Lancelot.**

**Next chapter, Gwaine gets horribly jealous and Lancelot is a perfect gentleman (at first).**

**Also, I'm going to focus on Merlin for a little while. Arthur will be back, but I don't know how long it will be. Merlin might have to get a little slutty in the meantime.**


End file.
